The Status of the Teaching of Children's and YA Literature and Services in Schools of Library and Information Science

Abstract

This paper cites the results from a questionnaire sent to all teachers of children's and YA literature and public library services in American Library Association (ALA)-accredited schools of information and library science and to the deans of those schools. Usable responses were received from 67 percent of the faculty and 74 percent of the deans or directors. Results came from the analysis of twenty-one questions dealing with aspects of teaching (e.g., class size and course load), children's services students in Ph.D. programs, and status, support, and nonteaching obligations of the faculty. Data were compared to those responses received from the deans and directors. Results varied considerably and are too numerous to synopsize, but there are clearly some issues, especially of status and support, that concern faculty teaching in this area and of which deans are not aware. And while some faculty are, indeed, content, others consider themselves overworked and underappreciated, especially in the apparent move to technology in today's schools of information and library science